Bowling-games apparatus



Nov. l, 1927.

F. W. KNIEBUSCH BOWLING GAMES APPARATUS l @Mannetje 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. l5, 1926 @vih/woo 30 cordance with this invention,

,9,5 Figure Application mea september is, 192e. serial ne. 135,225.

understood, of course, that the ball is rolled to the head of the alley. 1

The bowling table -1 is in the form. of an This invention relates to games and more particularly to'game apparatus of the bowlt ing alley type, being designed as'an improvein Patent Nm ment of the apparatus shown 1,545,778, dated Julyl 14, 1925.

Having in viewsuch improvement, oe of the primary objects of the invention s to provide a game board of the general nature 'of a bowling alley, there being provided a unique varrangement' of stalls or pockets to receive the balls thereby instilling an element of skill into the rolling of the balls into the pockets.

Another obJect 1s to provide a game board of this type equipped with a chute' board having a plurality of gullies or grooves terv minating in stalls or pockets so that when a ball enters one of these grooves it'will.. roll to a stall and close a contact indicating on a suitable register the stall which it has entered. y v v With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings in which, y

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the game apparatus constructed in ac- Figure 2 isa horizontal section taken on `the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus, l v

4 is an enlarged detailed vertical section of a fragment of the apparatus,

A Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a similar view taken on thev '40 line 6,-6 of Figure 4.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the game apparatus is in the form of a bowling .table which may be of'any desired type and proportions, being preferably constructed in sections and made apprommately 30 feet in length and 32 inches wide. The alley over which the balls roll shown at 2, has an incline of about 3 inches from the foot tov the head of thevalley, it being vwith a ball-return race 8 which delivers the balls to a rack 9 at the rear or foot of :the table. A ball guide 10 extends obliquely across the bottom 7 at the front end or head of the apparatus to direct the balls which drop into the pit to the return passage At'the head of the casing or alley, a cabinet 11 is provided containing electric lights 12 and provided with transparent panels 13 bearing legends to be used in keeping the score ofthe game. These legends preferably represent seven lpins, .nine pins, strike spare and eig t pins, arranged as shown in Fi re 5. It is to be understood that one of the lights 12 is arranged behind each panel 13, provision for completing the circuit of the electric lights being made and will be hereinafter` more fully described.

The front end or (head of the alley 2 is provided with an opening 14 belowwhich is arran 'ed an outwardly extending chute board 15 which is divided by vertical partitions 15 secured rigidly therein; into `a plurality of chutes 16, tive of. which are here shown and which extend longitudinally from the topto the bottom of the chute board and are designed to receive-the balls entering through the opening pockets 17 formed at the bottom of the chutes. 4The only balls which assist illumination of the lights 12 are those which enter through the opening 14 and pass through the chutes 16=to the stalls at the bottom thereof; These stalls or 1pockets v17 correspond. ,in number to there eotric lights 12, and normally open-switches 18, provided for said lights-,fare located 14 .and conduct them to stalls orl a transversely Aand lower end of the chute board 15 is arranged a extending barrier 19I which vorms the lower wall of the" stalls or" pockets 17 but is free from the partitionsv 15a and adapted to swing outwardly and is equipped wlth spring hinges to hold it normally in` closed position.. The sw'itches 18 are v carried by the barrier 19 as' shownclearlyfin Figure 4 so that when a ball rolls down one of the chutes 1 6, it will close the switch18.l light the lamp, 12 in the rear of the panel above it thereby registering on the indicator board on which these panels are mounted, the 1ptgcket which has been entered by the ball a r passing through the open ing 14. Ar swinging bumper or 'balile 21 is arranged transversely ofthe valley at the head of the table above 'the chutes;I 16 so that the ball will strike this cushioning bumper and? drop into the opening 14 onto the chute board and of the thereof.v

roll down' through. one chutes vto the stall atthe bottom 'The gutters 3 and 4 atlthe sides of thev alley also discharge intovthe pit and are provided near the head of the alley with bumpers or swinging cushions 3F and 4.a to retard the'speed of the ball in its passage to the pit. i v

For clearin the. stalls or pockets 17 of balls, the barrier 19 istprovided with 'means for swinging it forwardly topermit the balls to roll into the pit 20- andv be directed by the guide stripalO, to the return passage 8. The means here shown-for swinging the barrier consists Iof a' ull rod' 22 jmounted 'in suitable guides 23, a ong one side ofthe casing or table, and is -made'in' two sections, with a knuckle joint 24 connecting them.

The front section 25 of this pull rod i`s con nected with the lever 26 Afulcrumed at 27;

and connectedat 28 with the barrier 19 so that a pullexerted on the rod 22 will swing the lever onits fulcrum'v and open .the barrier 19in the dottedline osition shown inv Fig. 4.-. This opening of t e barrier permits` the ball which has entered a stall to roll. down into, the pit 20 and dro into the runwayv8 and befguidedthereby iback toj the rack at the foot of the alley.

In the use of this apparatus, the gameeis Eljayled very similar to an ordina gameof i ing and any ball which 'is ro led along the alley 2 and enters one of the gutters 3 or 4 drops into the'pit 20 and does not add to the playersscore. However, an ball which passes throu h the opening 14, filnds its way into one of t e chutes 16 and passes into the stall 17 at the lower end of the chute. These stalls have diiferent counting values as shown by the legendson the panels 13. If a ball passing through the, openin 14 enters the third stall, the li ht 12 for t e strike legend is illuminate and the other lights are, of course, lighted whenever the bal lreaches their respectivel pockets, thus indicating the l score of the player.l

The apparatus is preferably constructed-in being equipped board to form a plurality of chutes having separate ball receiving pockets at their lower ends, said pockets having different Icounting values, a barrier at the lower end of said chutes forming one wall of said pockets, said barrier being free from said partitions and movable. to release the balls from said pockets, and ball actuated indicator means for disclosing into which pocket the ball enters.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; said indicator means comprising switches carried by the barrier and closable by the ball.

3. An apparatus comprising acasing the top of which forms an alley withgutters at either side thereof, a it located at `one end of said casing into w ich said gutters discharge, a chutey board extending downwardly and forwardly from thealle a series of partitions rigidly secured to said chute board to form a plurality of chutes discharging into the pit, a barrier at the lower end of said` chutelslbut free from. said partitions,

separate ball receiving pockets at the lower ends of said chutes partially formed by said barrier, said pockets having different counting values, ball actuated lndicatingv means for disclosing into which pockets the balls enter, means for moving said barrier to clear the pockets from the balls which have fallen therein and a ball returning passage connected with said pit to'return the balls to the oluxter end ofthe, Casing.

4. ame apparatus com risin a casing whcse'tp forms anv alley ad whgich has a pit arranged at one end thereof, achute oon- `necting. said alle with the runway leading rom said plt, gullies formed on said casing in said chute to receive the balls from sald alley, cushioning ymeans lomeans for moving said barrier to return the balls.

5. A game apparatus comprising a casing whose top forms an alley having gutters along opposite sides thereof swinging bumpers near the discharge ends of said gutters, a pit at the front of said casing into which said gutters and alley discharge, a forwardly pit, a ball-return' and downwardly inclined chute board extending from said alley into said pit, ballreceiving gullies extending longitudinally of said chute board and terminatin at their lower ends in separatei pockets, a arrer arranged at the lower end of said chute between it and the pit, and forming one wall of said pockets ball-actuated switches'carried by said barrier, indicating means connected with said switches for disclosing into which gulley the ball enters, means for clearing the chute gullies of the balls, and a ballreturn runway connected with the pit.A

In testimony whereo I have hereunto afixed my signature.

FRANK W. KNIEBUSCH. 

